Reading Room JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY "Perfect Crime!"

A never-reprinted cross-genre tale from Journey into Mystery...

...combining crime and science fiction, is our entry for this Sunday!

You'll note the last two panels are re-lettered.

I suspect the Comics Code Authority felt it was too cruel to allow the criminal to die for something he technically didn't commit!

This was one of the two tales backing up Mighty Thor's very first appearance in Marvel's Journey into Mystery #83 (1963).

Ah, you've heard about that story, but not this one, eh?

Don Heck penciled and inked the tale.

Stan Lee plotted it, but experts are not sure if he scripted it.

Lee usually signed the later short stories he scripted, but only Heck's signature is here.

Just about everything Lee didn't script at this point was handled by his brother Larry Lieber.

(Stan's birth name is Stanley Leiber. He used "Stan Lee" on his comics work because he wanted his real name on the Great American Novel he planned to write.

When he finally realized he would be forever known for his comics and not any prose novel he might write, he legally changed his name to "Stan Lee".)

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Thor Masterworks
Volume 1 
featuring the Thor stories that appeared in front of the never-reprinted tales we're presenting!

Reading Room WEIRD WONDER TALES / STRANGE TALES "When a Planet Dies!"

The current "deep freeze" covering the USA reminded me of the splash panel from this story...

...from Marvel's Weird Wonder Tales #22 (1973), which was actually a reworking of this (literally) kool splash page from a cool story from Atlas' Strange Tales #97 (1962)!

While the art is credited to Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers, who wrote it is not entirely clear.

A number of people, myself included, think it's scripted by Kirby!

Bonus: Here's the original art for the cover from a previous issue of Weird Wonder Tales that supplied the Dr Druid figure on the reworked splash page above...

Art by pencilers Jack Kirby and John Romita Sr (Dr Druid's face), and inker Joe Sinnott.

Now, here's the original art for the Strange Tales story's splash page...

A Marvel production artist "flipped" a photostat of the Dr Druid figure from the Weird Wonder Tales cover and replaced the bearded aliens with it on a photostat of this splash page!

No original art was harmed in the making of the new splash! page!

Friday Holiday Fun SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS Conclusion

We Have Already Seen ...

In a desperate attempt to stimulate their lethargic and unmotivated children, the Martians decide to create a Christmas celebration on Mars.
But, the idea lacks one vital element...the real Santa Claus!
The benevolent Martian leader, Kimar, leads an expedition to Earth, where the aliens invade Santa's workshop at the North Pole.
Transporting Kris Kringle (and a couple of Earth kids they ran into) to the Red Planet, the Martians build a totally-automated factory to produce enough toys in time for Christmas.
But, the big green men are divided about if Santa's presence on Mars is actually helping their offspring.
A dissident group, lead by Voldar, sabotages the factory and kidnaps who they think is Santa, but is actually Kimar's bumbling aide, Dropo in a spare Santa suit...

Now, as a special early Christmas present...

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians:

the Motion Picture!

(Actually the MST3K version condensed down to 10 minutes!)

Friday Holiday Fun SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS Part 2

When Last We Left Santa Claus...

Actually, the robot doesn't speak in the movie!

In a desperate attempt to stimulate their lethargic and unmotivated children, the Martians decide to create a Christmas celebration on Mars.
But, the idea lacks one vital element...the real Santa Claus!
The Martian leader, Kimar, leads an expedition to Earth, where they find a pair of children who direct them to Santa's workshop at the North Pole.
The aliens and their robot invade the workshop, stun the elves and Mrs Claus, and depart, taking both Santa and the children with them...

Will Voldar realize his mistake?

And if so, will Droppo survive?

Will Santa get back to Earth in time for Christmas?

Be here next Friday for the answers to these and other questions in the thrilling conclusion!

Friday Holiday Fun SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS Part 1

Believe it or not, there was a comic book version of this holiday "classic" flick...

...in 1966, from Dell Comics!

Next Friday: Santa's trip to Mars...

(...not to be confused with Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars!)

The writer/adaptor is unknown, but the art is by Bob Jenney, who did quite a few movie and tv adaptations for Dell.

The actual title of the comic is Dell Movie Classic #725.
Not only was it sold on newsstands, but it was packaged with an LP album of the movie's audio including dialogue, sound effects and (shudder) the earworm-creating theme song!
(Remember, they didn't have streaming services, DVDs/Blu Rays, or even videocassettes back in the 1960s!)